Commonwealth Games 2014: Athletes To Watch

For the 4,500 competing athletes, tomorrow is a big day. As the first day of the Commonwealth Games, tomorrow marks the start of the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in Scotland, with 71 countries taking part in the 17 sports; all hoping to walk away with the gold medal.

With the much talked-about opening ceremony scheduled for 8pm tomorrow evening in the Celtic Park stadium, Sweaty Betty decided to enter into the athletic spirit by naming the top 5 female athletes that we’ll be watching throughout the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

TRACK CYCLING - Joanna Rowsell, England

Keen to defend her title as world champion, Joanna Rowsell is the favourite for England in the women's individual pursuit. Having won gold in the women's team pursuit at the 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014 World Championships, her most prominent solo victory was winning gold in the Team Pursuit at the London 2012 Olympics, and coming first in both Team and Individual Pursuit at the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships earlier this year.

DIVING - Pamela Ware, Canada

Having made a name for herself in 2013, 21-year-old Pamela Ware from Quebec, Canada has quickly established herself as one of the world's best springboard divers. At the 2014 FINA World Series, she won two bronze medals on the 3m board, and two silver and a bronze in the synchronised 3m event with Jennifer Abel. Pamela is currently ranked fourth in the world by FINA (3m), and third in the world in synchronised 3m category with Abel, making her one of the favourites to win gold for Canada at this year's Commonwealth Games.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS - Lynne Hutchison, England

Nineteen-year-old gymnast Lynne Hutchison from Bath in England is looking to be awarded the gold medal in this year's event, after winning bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. In 2012, she was part of the first rhythmic gymnastics squad to represent Team GB at an Olympic event, and won gold in 2014 Open Individual Apparatus competition earlier this year.

TRIATHLON - Emma Jackson, Australia

Emma Jackson will be one of three female Australian triathletes fighting for gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Winning the bronze medal at the ITU World Triathlon Series in London this June will likely have made Jackson even more determined for this event. With her last victories of note being the gold medal at the Oceania Triathlon Championships in 2012 and being named the U23 World Champion in 2010, Jackson also represented her country at the 2012 London Olympic Games, and took part in a total of 16 ITU competitions between 2007 and 2010; achieving eleven top-10 positions.

Image credit: ITU Media

WEIGHTLIFTING - Zoe Smith, England

London-born Zoe Smith won the bronze medal for weightlifting at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi (58kg division), and achieved a British record at the London 2012 Olympic Games for her 'clean and jerk lift' of 121kg. At just 5ft 2in, 22-year-old Smith has broken more than 350 lifting records and was once nicknamed Britain's Strongest Schoolgirl. Having won the award for 2014 British Senior Champion earlier this year, Smith is England's only competitor in the 58kg category.

PARA-SPORT - Jade Jones, England

At just 18-years-old, wheelchair athlete Jade Jones is an inspiration. Having represented Team GB in three events at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Jones went onto compete in the IPC World Championships the following year, reaching the finals of not just one, but four distances; 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m. Currently studying for her A-Levels alongside her athletic training, Jones is ranked in the world's top 5 for T54 events in distances of 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m. Jones will be aiming for a podium at the Commonwealth Games 2014.

Image credit: Gazette Live

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